E f ORESTER. 



VOL. VI. 



NOVEMBER, 1900. 



No. ii 



FOREST PROBLEMS IN MICHIGAN.* 



BY CHARLES W. GARFIELD. 



President of the Michigan Forestry Commission. 



It may be a matter of some interest to 

 the members of our association to know 

 what we are doing in Michigan looking 

 toward the solution of our forestry prob- 

 lem. The first movement was made by 

 the State Horticultural Society when I was 

 secretary twenty or more years ago. We 

 had a forestry program arranged for one 

 of our annual meetings, and there was 

 brought out, through some able papers, 

 the best judgment of some of our most 

 progressive and public-spirited citizens 

 upon the necessity of prompt measures to 

 increase the interest in forest preservation 

 with reference particularly to the preser- 

 vation of conditions that would promote 

 the horticulture of our State. 



For a number of years following this 

 meeting, some phase of forestry was dis- 

 cussed annually in connection with the 

 meetings of the State Horticultural Society. 

 The agitation resulted finally in a bill, 

 largely the work of Dr. W. J. Beal 

 of the Agricultural College, which was 

 presented by one of the vice-presidents 

 of the society after he became a member 

 of the Legislature. This bill was modi- 

 fied somewhat and became a law. It pro- 

 vided for the organization of an indepen- 

 dent Forestry Commission, and named such 

 Commission, the names being those of the 

 Michigan Board of Agriculture. A small 

 appropriation was made for expenses, and 

 the Board of Agriculture selected Dr. Beal 

 and myself as directors. We did what we 



* Read at the meeting of the American Fores- 

 try Association in New York, June 26th 



could to awaken an interest throughout 

 the State, held a convention which was a 

 great success, and issued a bulletin ; and 

 this was practically the end of the first 

 skirmish, for the Legislature refused to 

 appropriate any further money, and dis- 

 continued the Commission. A little more 

 than two years ago, a few of us who were 

 still interested in the work, somewhat 

 hopefully took the preliminary steps for 

 the organization of a body to consist of 

 representatives of the Board of Regents 

 of the Michigan University and the Board 

 of Agriculture of the Agriculture College, 

 as a voluntary commission to open again 

 the question of legislation, hoping to revive 

 the Forestry Commission. We held a num- 

 ber of very interesting meetings. Professor 

 V. M. Spalding of the University was 

 made chairman of this gathering, and I. 

 H. Butterfield of the Agricultural College 

 was made secretary'. The final result of 

 the deliberations of this voluntary commis- 

 sion was the formulation of a bill which 

 was presented to our last Legislature, 

 somewhat modified by that body, and 

 finally passed. 



The following is the text of the law. 



AN ACT, To provide a permanent Forestry Com- 

 mission for the State of Michigan, to define 

 its powers and duties and to provide for ex- 

 penses. 



The People of the State of Michigan enact 

 Section i. A commission to consist of three 

 members is hereby constituted, one the Commis- 

 sioner of the State Laud Office, and two t In- 

 chosen by the Governor by and with the udvuv 

 and consent of the Senate ; one of whom shall 

 hold his office for the term of two years and one 



